The discussion point for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader rankmed (PSN ID) who challenged readers to invent a multiplayer mode for their favourite game. Regardless of whether the game in question already has some kind of multiplayer we wanted to know what kind of options you’d like to see it include, covering both competitive and co-operative action.

As expected most people saw no point in just adding standard deathmatch modes to predominately single-player games. But more co-operative options were a common request, as well as games with asynchronous multiplayer such as the Wii U allows. Interestingly many seem to be looking to Grand Theft Auto V to innovate in terms of multiplayer, with its three playable characters.

Red Dead Redemption – has an obvious trick been missed?

Train of thought
Always thought that Red Dead Redemption missed a trick of not having train robberies/heists for the online multiplayer. It’d split the players into two teams; team A would be on the train with a healthy supply of ammo and have to defend a safe from team B on it as the train is moving.

Occasionally the train would stop at various points to add tension and help team B set up ambushes. Team A wins if they make it all the way to a specific point across the map and defend their loot, Team B wins if they successfully hijack the train.

Maybe have a successful defend/hijack add money to your single-player to add more motivation to win. Plus, it would have given the game a more unique multiplayer mode than standard deathmatches.Ty Conlon

Reality fight
What I’d like to see is multiplayer augmented reality. Two people both with their own 3DS. Slap an AR card on a table to view a boxing ring there through your 3DS. Two characters in the ring, you and one controlled by the other player. Are there any 3DS games out there with this type of multiplayer?

So that would be two people battling it out on a tabletop, which is absolutely nothing like two people dogfighting in outer space. The Elite Kickstarter goes on until January.Frank87

GC: It sounds very similar to Reality Fighters on the PS Vita, which was unfortunately pretty awful.

One life only
I would like to see some sort of online multiplayer war game where you are only blessed with one life. There would be two random teams put together and the object of the game is to push the opposing team back into retreat. I don’t think the one life thing would be an issue as long as there was some sort of rescue mode similar to the Left 4 Dead games. Or maybe there would be an option beforehand to choose to be a medic and in turn this would give your comrades the option to keep you alive at all costs or indeed leave you for dead.

I think some sort of ranking system based on how much ground you’ve captured, how many times you’ve died and how many team-mates you’ve rescued should be displayed above your head for your team-mates to see. This would give some induction on who the best gamers are to stick with in the field of combat.

I think this would eliminate any trigger happy respawn point camping gamers out there. I admit it’s probably not everyone’s cup of tea but I sure would like to see it.freeway 77

Choice fighter
I thought about trying to think of something weird and wacky for games that are currently single-player only, like a ‘let’s-see-who-can-get-more-famous’ mode in Skyrim or something, but then I thought, no – what about fighting games? Aren’t they getting just a bit a staid and boring these days? Playing something like the Test Your Luck mode in Mortal Kombat makes me wonder why there isn’t more of this sort of thing in the genre?

Now, before those insufferable, hardcore bores out there whine about the ‘gladiatorial purity of the fighting experience’ being ruined, let me clear that I just want more options. For all its smoothness and fluidity, after five or six rounds of Street Fighter IV me and a friend are bored. And we have no other options bar the vanilla, one-on-one match-ups.

I would like to be able to mess around with the rules in a more fun and interesting way. How about changing the size of Ryu’s fireballs? (Stop sniggering at the back.) Or make Chun Li’s Lightning Kick drain her health? Or even better, how about chickens occasionally getting loose and tripping up players at random?

Like I say, there should be more choices in this genre – you can still play it straight if you’re too dull to experiment. More craziness I say! More!DMR

Simple option
My idea is nothing revolutionary but would add another option for fans of Street Fighter and other online fighters. All I want for Christmas is a random select only option for multiplayer.

On that note assuming the Internet is wrong and the world don’t end beforehand, merry Christmas everybody.Karmarama

Multiplayer unplugged
I normally don’t write in for the Hot Topic, mainly because of the hours I work during the week, but since I’ve managed to get a day off midweek and the Hot Topic was my suggestion (inspired by Angry Dad’s letter) I felt I should contribute.

The problem is I can’t think of another game or mode I would include in any game. I stated in my last letter that I’m not a massive fan of online so I guess that is the reason. I will always prefer my multiplayer modes to be playable in the same room on the same computer, if you’ve ever played Mario Kart, Power Stone, Micro Machines or Bomberman (I guess I’m showing my age with these examples) with a group of mates all in a room you will know what I mean.

In my opinion same room multiplayer is the main reason the Wii became so popular. So with that in mind I would love to see games being developed for group play again. Actually, hang I just thought of one online mode that would perfectly fit into any game and improve it at least ten fold. Zombie mode!rankmed (PSN ID)

Be the boss
The thing I’ve always wanted in multiplayer is to be the boss and see whether I can beat those pesky player characters. A few beat ‘em-ups have kinda toyed with this idea, I remember unlocking a mode in Power Stone 2 where you were given complete control of the screen-sized bad guy, but I don’t remember seeing it in any other game really.

I actually like this Nintendo idea of ‘asynchronous multiplayer’, where one player has a completely different set of abilities to the others. You don’t need a Wii U for it though and I think being a super powered enemy in a shooter would be a real breath of fresh air, all you need to do is weight the scoring system and everything has a chance to do well.

Imagine actually being one of the bosses in Dark Souls! That would be a nice change of pace from being the one that’s continually getting mauled by them.Gadfly

Dare to do nothing
This is probably going to be a common theme amongst readers but the multiplayer mode I’d like to see most is more dedicated co-op modes. By that I mean games that offer genuinely different experiences based on how many of you there are, rather than simply rerunning the single-player and upping the difficulty. And yes, I do know some games already do this but I’d like to see it done in different genres.

Like in stealth games one player would be able to cause a distraction allowing the other an easier run. Another could be if one player was in disguise and had to gain information without raising suspicions, while the other had to wait to be able to use the information. All the while having to avoid detection. The area where I think it would make the most difference though is in open world/sandbox games.

One of the things I liked most about Grand Theft Auto IV was the co-op multiplayer. That might be because of how much I played it going for the Platinum trophy, but when everyone knew their role within the team it showed what real potential it had. The three main characters in Grand Theft Auto V is one of the reasons I’m looking forward to it so much.

I’m hoping Rockstar will find clever ways to integrate it into the gameplay, for example while two players carry out a robbery the third has to find a helicopter and then go back to help them escape. Because of the size of the game worlds I’d like to see missions/quests that take place miles apart with one player affecting how the other can progress.

When it comes down to it though what I’d really like to see in games is less multiplayer! As I’ve said before when multiplayer is done well it can be the best part of a game but all too often these days it just seems bolted on.

What I would like is for publishers to be brave enough not to include it if it’s just a bog standard team deathmatch based bore that no-one plays. Instead, if it must have one, let the developers work out something new that takes advantage of the single-player’s best features. I thought Assassin’s Creed’s multiplayer was excellent and should be used a template: something that was similar to regular games yet different enough to stand out.andy_b720 (PSN ID)
PS: A multiplayer game I would love to see revived is The Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. A new version possibly using The Wind Waker-esque visuals of the DS games would be absolutely perfect for the Wii U.